The Opposition in Ukraine is United

The Front for Change Party, the Batkivschyna all-Ukrainian Union (prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko’s party) and another four parties today announced their unification for participation in the elections to the Parliament on October 28, 2012, reported the Kyiv Post.

“We have united in order to win the parliamentary elections in Ukraine, [and] to restore democracy and justice in Ukraine,” First Deputy Chairman of the Batkivschyna All-Ukrainian Union Oleksandr Turchynov said, reading out the declaration of unity at a press conference on Monday, Apr. 23.

“Our political forces are forming a joint list for the elections and agreeing on their candidates for single-mandate constituencies,” the declaration reads.

According to the declaration, the Ukrainian legislation bans election blocs from participating in the election. Therefore the joint list of the candidates of the opposition will be formed on the basis of the Batkivschyna Party, which has the highest rating among the opposition parties. Batkivschyna Party Leader Yulia Tymoshenko and Front for Change Leader Arseniy Yatseniuk will lead the list.

In addition to the Front for Change and the Batkivschyna parties, the united opposition includes the Popular Rukh of Ukraine, the People’s Self-Defense Party, the For Ukraine Party, and the Reforms and Order Party, Yatseniuk said.